2 Mosebog 1

1 Dette er Navnene på Israels Sønner, der sammen med Jakob kom til Ægypten med deres Familier:

Now these are the names of the sons of Israel, who came into Egypt (every man and his household came with Jacob):

2 Ruben, Simeon, Levi og Juda,

Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah,

3 Issakar, Zebulon og Benjamin,

Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin,

4 Dan og Naftali, Gad og Aser.

Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher.

5 Jakobs Efterkommere udgjorde i alt halvfjerdsindstyve, men Josef var i Ægypten.

All the souls who came out of Jacob’s body were seventy souls, and Joseph was in Egypt already.

6 Imidlertid døde Josef og alle hans Brødre og hele dette Slægtled.

Joseph died, as did all his brothers, and all that generation.

7 Men Israeliterne var frugtbare og formerede sig, og de blev mange og overmåde talrige, så at Landet blev fuldt af dem.

The children of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and grew exceedingly mighty; and the land was filled with them.

8 Da kom der en ny Konge over Ægypten, som ikke vidste noget om Josef;

Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph.

9 og han sagde til sit Folk: "Se, Israels Folk bliver talrigere og stærkere end vi.

He said to his people, “Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we.

10 Velan, lad os gå klogt til Værks imod dem, for at de ikke skal blive for mange; ellers kan det hænde, når vi kommer i Krig, at de går over til vore Modstandere og kæmper mod os og til sidst forlader Landet!"

Come, let’s deal wisely with them, lest they multiply, and it happen that when any war breaks out, they also join themselves to our enemies and fight against us, and escape out of the land.”

11 Så satte man Fogeder over dem til at plage dem med Trællearbejde, og de måtte bygge Forrådsbyer for Farao: Pitom og Ra'amses.

Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with their burdens. They built storage cities for Pharaoh: Pithom and Raamses.

12 Men jo mere man plagede dem, des flere blev de, og des mere bredte de sig, så Ægypterne fik Rædsel for Israeliterne.

But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and the more they spread out. They started to dread the children of Israel.

13 Og Ægypterne tvang Israeliterne til Trællearbejde

The Egyptians ruthlessly made the children of Israel serve,

14 og gjorde dem Livet bittert ved hårdt Arbejde med Ler og Tegl og alle Hånde Markarbejde, ved alt det Arbejde, de tvang dem til at udføre for sig.

and they made their lives bitter with hard service in mortar and in brick, and in all kinds of service in the field, all their service, in which they ruthlessly made them serve.

15 Ægypterkongen sagde da til Hebræerkvindernes Jordemødre, af hvilke den ene hed Sjifra, den anden Pua:

The king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, of whom the name of the one was Shiphrah, and the name of the other Puah,

16 "Når I forløser Hebræerkvinderne, skal I se godt efter ved Fødselen, og er det et Drengebarn, tag så Livet af det, men er det et Pigebarn, lad det så leve!"

and he said, “When you perform the duty of a midwife to the Hebrew women, and see them on the birth stool, if it is a son, then you shall kill him; but if it is a daughter, then she shall live.”

17 Men Jordemødrene frygtede Gud og gjorde ikke, som Ægypterkongen havde befalet dem, men lod Drengebørnene leve.

But the midwives feared God, and did not do what the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the baby boys alive.

18 Da lod Ægypterkongen Jordemødrene kalde og sagde til dem: "Hvorfor har I båret eder således ad og ladet Drengebørnene leve?"

The king of Egypt called for the midwives, and said to them, “Why have you done this thing and saved the boys alive?”

19 Men Jordemødrene svarede Farao: "Hebræerkvinderne er ikke som de Ægyptiske Kvinder, de har let ved at føde; inden Jordemoderen kommer til dem, har de allerede født!"

The midwives said to Pharaoh, “Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women; for they are vigorous and give birth before the midwife comes to them.”

20 Og Gud gjorde vel imod Jordemødrene, og Folket blev stort og såre talrigt;

God dealt well with the midwives, and the people multiplied, and grew very mighty.

21 og Gud gav Jordemødrene Afkom, fordi de frygtede ham.

Because the midwives feared God, he gave them families.

22 Da udstedte Farao den Befaling til hele sit Folk: "Alle Drengebørn, der fødes, skal I kaste i Nilen, men Pigebørnene skal I lade leve!"

Pharaoh commanded all his people, saying, “You shall cast every son who is born into the river, and every daughter you shall save alive.”